


Gravity

by NervousAsexual



Category: Star Trek
Genre: I'm so sorry, Kinda, Sad Ending, because those always turn out well, i fudged a lot of science, i hope you're happy, it's based on a dream i had again, now not so much, science and i, they blow up the enterprise again, we used to be buds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 06:31:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9644468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAsexual/pseuds/NervousAsexual
Summary: When the Enterprise strays too close to a collapsing star it seems inevitable that the entire crew is going to die. McCoy offers an alternative, but it comes at a price.+bonus Scones





	1. Chapter 1

The Enterprise is a good ship. In her day she's outrun Klingons, Romulans, sentient space-clouds, and a looming sense of dread. There's one thing she can't outrun, and that's the weight of a dying star.

"We're going to die," Uhura says. She doesn't sound scared. She isn't asking a question. She is stating a fact.

But James Tiberius Kirk doesn't believe that, won't believe that. There is no such thing as a no-win scenario. Only solutions you have yet to consider. "Put me through to engineering."

"Captain, the braking thrusters," Sulu began.

"I said put me through."

So Uhura does.

The sounds of chaos in engineering fill the bridge. Someone is shouting. Someone is crying. Klaxon alarms ring out and a loud hiss underlies everything.

Kirk's throat is so dry and sore.

At last Scotty's voice comes through. "What is it, captain."

He tries to put a smile on his face. "What's the damage, Scotty?"

Silence for a moment. "She's not equipped to handle this kind of external pressure, captain."

"Well, of course. But the damage?"

Scotty sighs. There's no attempt to hide the exasperation in his voice. "Bays C and D depressurized. Life support system's down, 02 leaks in too many places to count, damage to the warp core, down to two thrusters... at least three casualties so far. Probably more."

Kirk casts his eyes around the bridge. His gaze falls on Chekov. The ensign is trying hard to look brave. He covers up his mouth. "How long before warp is back up?"

"Longer than we have oxygen for, captain."

There's no such thing, he tries to remember. No such thing as a no-win scenario. "What about the transporters?"

"Transport is down as well."

The shuttles?" Maybe they could save a few of the younger crew members. There has to be something.

"There's no way a shuttle is goin' ta survive the gravitational pull, captain. The only way we're getting out is if a ship with working transport beams us out, and even that's an outside chance."

"Uhura." The words are coming out strained now. "What's the ETA on any rescue?"

Uhura moves slowly as she turns to look at her console. He wants to shake her. Doesn't she know time is of the essence? "Nearest ship is the Saratoga, sir. She's en route, sixteen minutes out."

All right. It's a start. "So we'll sit tight until they..."

"Captain," Sulu snaps. "We're down to two braking thrusters. In sixteen minutes we'll already be crushed."

They're going to die.

He pushes the thought away and looks to Spock, but Spock only stares intently at the wall.

They're going to die.

He feels the tears start and he's never felt so betrayed in all his life. He swipes at his face with his sleeve.

"All right," he says.

The only sound that remains is piped in from engineering.

 "All right. If this is how it ends... I'm glad we go together."

Chekov turns quickly back to his console. Sulu puts his hand on his arm and is shrugged off.

"It's been an honor, captain." Scotty's voice is gravelly over the speakers.

"The privilege was mine," Kirk says. "All of you. I've been incredibly lucky to have worked with each of you."

The lift doors open and suddenly Bones is on the bridge, one last time. He is glad.

"What are you doing?" Bones demands.

"What?"

"We have to move. Now, while we've still got the opportunity."

"We can't. The warp core's damaged, the whole ship will go up in flames."

Bones shoves a padd into his hands. The screen is lit up with numbers, symbols, math he can't even begin to understand.

"Wrong. Some of the cargo bays depressurized, right? So engineering is under lockdown." He points out some figures on the padd. "Fire off the warp drive and you should have power enough to get moving. An explosion happens, yes, but it's contained to engineering. And it should help throw us free, with the depressurized bays venting--"

Kirk's head is spinning. He focuses on a handful of numbers but they all seem to swim before his eyes. "That... that would kill everyone in engineering, Bones. They'd all die."

"And so will everyone else if you don't do anything."

He tears his gaze from the padd and looks up. If Bones had looked self-righteous, if he'd been anyone else, he could have summoned up his own anger. Instead he looked into Bones' sad, watery baby blues and for once in his life wished he could just go lay in bed until it was over."

"I'm a doctor, Jim. I can't just sit back and let them all die. I have to try something."

His head is shaking on its own. If it were up to him he'd gladly lay down his own life to save them all, but he could never let someone do the same for him. Especially not when he would have to ask them to do so. "Bones, it would never work and you know it."

"On the contrary, captain." Spock's voice is flat. "I've been doing the same calculations as Dr. McCoy, and while the margin of error is not desirable, it is feasible that we could generate enough force to escape the star's pull."

He can still hear the hiss of the transmission from engineering. He wonders if Scotty is still listening.

"I can't do that to them," he says, eyes roaming across the silent bridge. "You can't expect me to..."

Nodding slowly, Bones pushes himself away.

"All right," he says. "I'm sorry, Jim. I hope you can forgive me. And I hope to God Scott can too."

What? he barely has time to think before Bones jumps the railing that separates them from the navigation controls. He grabs--the padd clatters uselessly to the ground--and misses.

"Stop him!" he screams, but Spock is too far, Uhura is too slow, Sulu only stares and Chekov turns his face away as Bones scrabbles against the console and they are thrown, violently, straight into warp.

 

* * *

The bridge crew is the last to be beamed aboard the Saratoga. The transporter room is crowded and hot and packed so tightly Kirk can barely breathe. He stumbles down into the throng and he feels like something is somewhere has been cut off. It's like a video feed without audio, like gravity's been reversed, like time itself has stopped.

Someone in command green appears at his side, flanked by two in security red. "Captain?" she asks. "Captain Kirk?"

He opens his mouth and the words tumble out. "Were there survivors?"

She hesitates. He thinks he sees Yeoman Rand in the crush, clinging to a wall. That might be Lt. Freeman there, near the controls. He sees no engineering red but it's a small room, they could already have been evacuated. "Engineering. Were there any survivors in engineering."

"No," she says at last. "I'm sorry, captain."

Just like that, they're all gone. That's what's missing. They are. "So he killed them."

"Who did, captain? What happened in engineering?"

He hears the hum of the transporter behind him and staggers around. Bones is there in the beam, Spock and Uhura on either side, holding him up. He looks  as shell-shocked as Kirk feels. His head is bleeding where it struck the console in the explosion. This is going to hurt.

"He did," Kirk says, and to his surprise he doesn't feel much of anything. "I gave him an order and he disobeyed and now they're dead."

McCoy looks around at the transporter room, at the survivors struggling to get out, at the security reds making their way toward him, and finally his eyes light on Kirk. He stumbles forward.

"I did the only thing I could, Jim." He takes a step forward and puts his hand on Kirk's arm. Kirk pulls back at the same moment security pulls Bones away. "Jim? That's what we always do, right? Turn death into a fighting chance to live?"

Kirk just looks away.


	2. Chapter 2

Omicron Delta region

Star Date 3026.3

 

On the shore leave planet they wished up a drink each--a scotch for Scotty and a mint julep for Bones--and sat on the grass and traded.

"Fancy-pants elitist tripe," Scotty said of the julep.

"Overcompensating wheat water," Bones pronounced the scotch.

They didn't trade back.

For a long time they sat in silence, watching the sun touch down on the horizon.

"So you were dead, then," Scotty said at last.

"That's what they tell me."

"What was that like."

Bones took a sip of the scotch and considered. "Hurt quite a bit for a hot minute. Then, not so much."

"And now you're back."

"Mmhm."

"Don't suppose you asked them how?"

He inclined his head. "I did. They laughed, and told me we 'are not yet ready to understand.'"

Scotty laughs a little. "Don't ya just hate it when the aliens have their own prime directive?"

Bones smiled.

"In any case it's good to have you back."

"All part of the job." He gestured out at the growing dusk. "Boldly going where none has gone before and all that noise."

"Clearin' the way for us all to follow someday."

"Well, naturally. Wouldn't expect ya'll to do anything I wouldn't do."

Scotty laughed again.

"This is serious business, Mr. Scott."

"Naturally, Dr. McCoy."

They toasted each other one more time, and then--all too soon--it was time to beam up.


End file.
